Colombian up-and-coming rapper Kevin Roldan has yet to hit the Billboard charts, but in his home country, he’s a known quantity. And now, following an avalanche of tweets stemming from a winning speech by FC Barcelona star Gerard Piqué (Shakira’s partner), he’s become a household name in Spain and to soccer fans around the globe.
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It all started back in February, when Roldán performed at a birthday party for Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese forward for Real Madrid. The problem? The party took place hours after Real Madrid was trashed 4-0 by archrivals Atletico Madrid. And while Ronaldo had limited press on the event, Roldan got carried away and posted multiple photos on Twitter, and, you can imagine the rest: The pics went viral and Ronaldo was lambasted by Spanish press for partying after a loss. That loss, it turns out, paved the way for the other big Spanish soccer team — FC Barelona — to advance in the Champion’s League tournament and win June 6. The following day, during the celebrations, a jubilant Piqué shouted: “And thank you Kevin Roldan. It all started with you!”
It was a low blow, and it went viral. Roldan wasn’t amused. “Don’t confuse knowing my name with knowing me,” the singer tweeted, later deleting the tweet.
In the end, though, he may be the big winner thanks to his newly acquired huge name recognition. Not shabby for an artist on the brink of an international breakthrough.
As Roldan himself said in a later tweet: “Be happy, fight for your dreams and ignore what’s not worth your while.”
Se feliz, lucha por tus sueños e ignora lo que no vale la pena.
— Mr. KR Kevin Roldan (@KEVINROLDAN) June 8, 2015